diff --git a/dbos/system_database.go b/dbos/system_database.go
index c79f214d..2a7b8a9d 100644
--- a/dbos/system_database.go
+++ b/dbos/system_database.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"log/slog"
+	"math"
+	"math/rand"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -140,8 +142,11 @@ const (
 	_DBOS_WORKFLOW_EVENTS_CHANNEL = "dbos_workflow_events_channel"
 
 	// Database retry timeouts
-	_DB_CONNECTION_RETRY_DELAY = 500 * time.Millisecond
-	_DB_RETRY_INTERVAL         = 1 * time.Second
+	_DB_CONNECTION_RETRY_BASE_DELAY  = 1 * time.Second
+	_DB_CONNECTION_RETRY_FACTOR      = 2
+	_DB_CONNECTION_RETRY_MAX_RETRIES = 10
+	_DB_CONNECTION_MAX_DELAY         = 120 * time.Second
+	_DB_RETRY_INTERVAL               = 1 * time.Second
 )
 
 func runMigrations(databaseURL string) error {
@@ -326,7 +331,7 @@ func (s *sysDB) shutdown(ctx context.Context, timeout time.Duration) {
 	// Allow pgx health checks to complete
 	// https://github.com/jackc/pgx/blob/15bca4a4e14e0049777c1245dba4c16300fe4fd0/pgxpool/pool.go#L417
 	// These trigger go-leak alerts
-	time.Sleep(_DB_CONNECTION_RETRY_DELAY)
+	time.Sleep(500 * time.Millisecond)
 
 	s.launched = false
 }
@@ -1542,6 +1547,7 @@ func (s *sysDB) notificationListenerLoop(ctx context.Context) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	retryAttempt := 0
 	for {
 		// Block until a notification is received. OnNotification will be called when a notification is received.
 		// WaitForNotification handles context cancellation: https://github.com/jackc/pgx/blob/15bca4a4e14e0049777c1245dba4c16300fe4fd0/pgconn/pgconn.go#L1050
@@ -1560,10 +1566,14 @@ func (s *sysDB) notificationListenerLoop(ctx context.Context) {
 			}
 
 			// Other errors - log and retry.
-			// TODO add exponential backoff + jitter
 			s.logger.Error("Error waiting for notification", "error", err)
-			time.Sleep(_DB_CONNECTION_RETRY_DELAY)
+			time.Sleep(backoffWithJitter(retryAttempt))
+			retryAttempt += 1
 			continue
+		} else {
+			if retryAttempt > 0 {
+				retryAttempt -= 1
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -2367,3 +2377,17 @@ func (qb *queryBuilder) addWhereLessEqual(column string, value any) {
 	qb.whereClauses = append(qb.whereClauses, fmt.Sprintf("%s <= $%d", column, qb.argCounter))
 	qb.args = append(qb.args, value)
 }
+
+func backoffWithJitter(retryAttempt int) time.Duration {
+	exp := float64(_DB_CONNECTION_RETRY_BASE_DELAY) * math.Pow(_DB_CONNECTION_RETRY_FACTOR, float64(retryAttempt))
+	// cap backoff to max number of retries, then do a fixed time delay
+	// expected retryAttempt to initially be 0, so >= used
+	// cap delay to maximum of _DB_CONNECTION_MAX_DELAY milliseconds
+	if retryAttempt >= _DB_CONNECTION_RETRY_MAX_RETRIES || exp > float64(_DB_CONNECTION_MAX_DELAY) {
+		exp = float64(_DB_CONNECTION_MAX_DELAY)
+	}
+
+	// want randomization between +-25% of exp
+	jitter := 0.75 + rand.Float64()*0.5 // #nosec G404 -- trivial use of math/rand
+	return time.Duration(exp * jitter)
+}
diff --git a/dbos/system_database_test.go b/dbos/system_database_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cc783414
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dbos/system_database_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+package dbos
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+var backoffWithJitterTestcases = []struct {
+	name         string
+	retryAttempt int
+	wantMin      time.Duration
+	wantMax      time.Duration
+}{
+	{
+		name:         "first retry attempt (0)",
+		retryAttempt: 0,
+		wantMin:      750 * time.Millisecond,
+		wantMax:      1250 * time.Millisecond,
+	},
+	{
+		name:         "second retry attempt (1)",
+		retryAttempt: 1,
+		wantMin:      1500 * time.Millisecond,
+		wantMax:      2500 * time.Millisecond,
+	},
+	{
+		name:         "ninth retry attempt (8)",
+		retryAttempt: 8,
+		wantMin:      90 * time.Second,
+		wantMax:      150 * time.Second,
+	},
+	{
+		name:         "exceeds max retries",
+		retryAttempt: 10,
+		wantMin:      90 * time.Second,
+		wantMax:      150 * time.Second,
+	},
+}
+
+func TestBackoffWithJitter(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, testcase := range backoffWithJitterTestcases {
+		t.Run(testcase.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := backoffWithJitter(testcase.retryAttempt)
+
+			if got < testcase.wantMin || got > testcase.wantMax {
+				t.Errorf("Should be between %v and %v, got=%v, attempt=%v",
+					testcase.wantMin, testcase.wantMax, got, testcase.retryAttempt)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}